Flow-control fitting



Oct. 22, 1929. J. BlJUR FLOW CONTROL FITTING Original Filed Aug. 9, 1922L AT lll

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH BIJ'UR, OF NEWYORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUTO RESEARCH CORPORATION, A. CORPORATION 0FDELAWARE.

FLOW-CONTROL FITTING @riginal application iled August 9, 1922, SerialNo.` 1928. Serial My present invention relates primarily to chassislubrication and is more especially concerned with flow control devicesof the general type disclosed in my issued Patent No. 1,632,772J of June14, 1927, and known as drip plugs, the flow rating of which is .notsubject to f'ortuitous variation.

lt is an object of the invention to provide a'drip plug of the abovetype of compact construction which is not easily tampered with, but maybe conveniently taken apart and put together when desired in the courseof manufacture.

Another object is to provide a fitting of the above type, which permitsof easily assembling, cleaning or clearing the restriction withoutinterference by the valve.

Another object is to provide a fitting of the said type which permits oftesting the valve for tightness without interference from therestriction element.

Another object is to avoid the need for rejecting the entire fittingWhere only the valve or only the restriction is found defective duringthe process of manufacture and inspection.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by forming the drip plugof two coacting separable fitting parts, one of which embodies lthe flowcontrolling restriction. lh'ei'erably, one of the fitting parts has anipple end adapted to be applied to the bearing, with the outer' portionof which litting part, the coacting inlet fitting part has a plug andsocket connection, and to which the iced tpipe extremity is' connected.The restriction may be a filler of metal or other hard material, withina corresponding bore longitudinally of one of the fitting parts,producing a high resistance crevice of length and cross-sectiondetermining a definite rate of flow with oil of a given viscosity, undera given propulsive pressure.

'lhis application is a division of my copending application Serial No.580,668, liled August 9th, 1922.

ln the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of-the'several features of the invention,

580,668. Divided and this application tiled June 5, No. 282,958.

of the chassis of an automobile having a lubricant supply unit S,illustratively on the dashboard. The distributing system includesheaders c and d, which communicate at their ends with the respectivemains lm, extending the length of the channel *frames and feedingvarious bearings at or near which the drip plug terminals t are applied.Bridging conduits (not shown) are provided leading to similar drip plugs(not shown) .at or near the corresponding bearings on the axle or otherunsprung parts.

The fitting of Fig. 2 is shown elbowshaped and comprises a supportelement 10 provided with a transverse socket 11 into which is threadedan inlet fitting or cartridge 12 which illustratively extends at rightangles to the support. The support is formed preferably of square orpolygonal stock whereby the end area of shoulder 13 on the cartridgewill Contact one of the flat sides. The support has a threaded nipple 14for insertion into a bearing, bolt or other part to be lubricated.

The cartridge element 12 is shown with a bore 15 of large diameter formounting the disk valve 16 which is preferably of diameter substantiallyas large as the fitting admits'of and is provided with a seating portion17 of a material which should be yielding to compensate forirregularities in the seat, smooth to seat completely under lightpressure, substantially impervious and chemically inert to oil andnon-sticking. A. spring 18 coiled at its inner end about a lug 19 on thevalve urges the latter against its seat 20, said spring reacting againsta perforated plate 2l held in place in theinner part of the cartridge bya split ring 22.

In the present embodiment, the flow restriction is disposed in the baseor stem fitting. It is illustratively shown as a metallic filler snuglyfitting within a corresponding longitudinal bore 24 in the supportelement to effect a resistance to fioW equivalent to that of the wirefiller in my issued patent. The inner end of the cartridge 12 extendspartly across the inner end of the bore 24, and a perforated disk 25 isretained in place by a split ring 26 at the bearing end of the support,thus positively preventing escape of the restriction filler.

The inlet end of the cartridge 12 preferably has a socket 27 withinwhich is fitted a felt strainer plug 28 the inner end of which fitssnugly therein while the outer end is preferably loose or spaced fromthe Wall of the corresponding socket portion 29 of somewhat enlargeddiameter as shown.

The end of the pipe line is connected to the drip plug by a suitablecoupling. Illustratively a flanged collar 30 is soldered to the pipeline and clamped against the end of the fitting by a screw cap 31threaded thereon, an interposed gasket 32 effecting a fiuid tightconnection.

In operation when the drip plug is subjected to pressure applied to thedistributing system shown in Fig. 1, the valve 16 will open and the oilis forced past the restriction filler so that the oil emerges from thefitting slowly drop by drop.

The drip plug has a fixed resistance to floW,-maintaied invariant by thestrainer plug 28 which intercepts any solid particles that might clogthe minute crevice or become seated at the valve.

The embodiment of Fig. 3 shows an elbow fitting similar to that of Fig.2 with a support element 10 threaded into the bearing and a cartridge 12threaded into a socket 11 near the outer end of the support. Unlike theembodiment of Fig. 2, the Valve is here shown mounted in the supportelementV and the restriction member in the inlet cartridge element. Thesupport element in this` instance accordingly has a bore 15 sufficientlylarge for mounting the disk valve 16 which is of construction similar tothat of Fig. 2. The seating spring 18 for the valve in this case reactsagainst a perforated washer 21 near the outer or base end of thesupport, and is maintained in place by a split ring 22. The drip plugrestriction is shown as a filler 23 of metal Wire Within the axial boreof the inlet cartridge 12. The bore is preferably about -f in diameterandabout an inch long and the wire filler about .002 smaller indiameter, fits closely, leaving but a minute restricted annular creviceor passage about the len th of the Wire. The feed pipe may be coup ed tothe inlet in the same manner as in the. embodiment of Fig. 2 and asimilar strainer may be provided. The restriction pin is maintained inplace by the strainer 28 at one end thereof' and by the bottom of thesocket 11 at the other end thereof.

In the embodiment of Fig. 4 I have shown a restriction illustrativelyalso in the cartridge element as in Fig. 3 but formed by tightly fittinga plug of metal or other hard material in a corresponding axial bore ofthe litting, linear clearance being provided at the surface of contactto afford a highly restricted fiow pressure absorbing crevice. In theillustrative embodiment shown, there is employed a helical restrictionof length far greater than the fitting piece. The restriction isdetermined by cutting a thread of a multiplicity of turns, preferably adouble or triple thread, in the contacting surface between the fittingbore and the plug therein, the apex of the thread being in tightengagement with the relatively smooth surface of the unthreaded member.In the embodiment shown. it is the plug 232 which is threaded at 35' andthe bore 242 of the fitting piece 122 which has a relatively smoothWall. 'lhe diameter of the plug and the bore of the fitting areconsiderably larger than the correspending elements of Figs. 2 and 3,affording a greater length of helix than would a small plug or pin in acorresponding bore. The plug 232 is preferably of diameter in the orderof that of the inlet 3G to the drip plug. The inlet is ofcross-sectional area many times as great as that of the long helicalrestriction passage.

In the present embodiment, the fitting piece 122 which forms therestriction, is illustratively provided with a socket 3T threaded uponthe upper nipple end 38 of the fitting piece 102, applied to thebearing. The piece 102 has a shoulder 38 against which the end of socket37 abuts when the parts are correctly assembled.

The fitting piece 102 also serves as the mount for the check valve 1G2of construction and proportions similar to those of the embodiment ofFig. 2. Illustratively valve 162 is seated by a tension rather than acompression coil spring. Tension spring 39 is affixed at one end to anintegral stem 40 on the valve and is secured at its opposite end to aWasher 41. The springdraws the washer downward against the upper nippleend of the fitting piece 102 and the valve upward against its seat.

Itis obvious that the restriction fitting pieces 10 and 122 respectivelyof Figs. 2 and 4 may be made with restriction plugs of different lengthor rating, and the fitting assembled by connection of the valve fittingpiece 12, 102 Which is universal to fittings of all ratings. In use,should a fitting be found to fiow too freely or too slowly therestriction fitting part may be readily replaced by one of appropriaterating. In similar manner, the

constituent fitting parts of the embodiment of F ig. 3 may be separatedand in this case, the restriction pin 23 merely need be replaced by oneof appropriate effective length.

Fach of the embodiments presents a compact fitting in which the lengtheven of the mounting nipple 14, 1a', 142 that is inserted into thebearing, 'serves to accommodate some of the dow controlling parts ofthedrip plug. ln Fig. 2 the length of the restriction 23 extends into` themounting nipple; in Figs. 3 and 4t, the valve or` the seating springthereof is there accommodated. Moreover the elbow `shape of the dripplug illustratively shown f provides a construction protruding butlittle from the bearing structure to which it is applied, and when usedon an automobile is less likely to be knocked off than if theconstituent fitting parts of a similar drip plug Were axially aligned.The elbow form moreover presents the advantage that the inlet nippleextends in the general direction in which the feed pipe is ordinarilydisposed so that the length of the latter need not be bent at a sharpangle for application of the coupling.

Fach of the embodiments of drip plug is readily installed at the bearingas a complete preassembled unit. Each bearing When equipped with a dripplug of appropriate rating Will receive an accurately predeterminedproportion of the output feed from a common source of lubricant andpressure, and this substantially regardless of the viscosity or uidityof the lubricant. Each drip plug will respond promptly to theapplication of pressure td the feed pipe line, and the valve thereofWill close promptly to arrest flow or leak upon the discontinuance ofoperating pressure.

lln installing the drip plug or removing it from a bearing it is thepolygonal stem or base section vvhich is naturally grasped so 'thatthere is no likelihood in such operation of .inadvertently disassemblingthe drip plug, and deliberate separation of the fitting elements withthe ordinary tools available to an inexpert layman is difficult. Themanufacturer however can readily separate these parts and put themtogether again When desired, in the course of manufacture.

lhe two-part arrangement of drip plug facilitates manufacture andpermits of' cleaning or clearing the restriction in its distinct fittingpart prior to assembly with the other fitting part, both ends of therestriction being at that time exposed, to permit ejection of chips.rlhe valve also may be tested for tightness in its distinct fittingelement Without interference from the restriction. By this arrangementthe losses due to rejections are reduced to the utmost, because a defectin one element does not involve rejection of the other element.

lt vvillT be 'understood that the valve arrangement of Fig. 4 may beapplied to advantage in the embodiments of Figs. 2.and 3 and converselythe valve of the latter figures may be employed in the drip plug of Fig.4. Likewise the specific flow restriction construction of each of thethree embodiments shown may be interchangeably used in each of the otherembodiment of drip plug.

The subject-mattei' specific to the drip plug of Fig. 3 is claimed in acopending application Serial No. 395,258, filed September 26, 1929; thesubject mattei` specific to the drip plug of Fig. l is claimed in acopending application, Serial No. 282,959, filed June 5, 1928, and thespecific construction of restriction filler only generally suggested inthe embodiment of' Fig. 2 is made the subjectmatter of' anothercopending application,

Serial No. 380,156, filed July 22, 1929.

I claim f 1. A drip plug` construction comprising a pair of rigid piecescorrelated to provide a restriction fitting, affording a highlyresistant passage longitudinally thereof, said passage accessiblethrough each of the ends of said restriction fitting and a complementaryfitting for associating said restriction fitting in an installation,said complementary fitting covering one end ot' the restriction passageexposed in the separate restriction fitting.

2. A. drip plug construction comprising a pair of rigid pieces closelyfitted together to provide a pre-assembled restriction fitting,

,affording a highly resistant passage, said preassembled fitting beingopen at each of the ,ends of said passage, a complementary fitting piecefor associating said restriction fitting' in an installation, saidcomplementary piece covering one end of the restriction passage exposedin the separate restriction fitting.

3. A drip plug construction comprising a restriction fitting piecehaving a hard imperforate restriction insert closely fitting in acorresponding longitudinal bore which breaks through the fitting pieceat its opposite ends, and affording a highly restricted outlet, a'nd acomplementary fitting piece for associating said restriction piece in alubricating installation, said complementary piece covering one end ofthe restriction passage eaposed in the separate restriction fittingpiece.

il, A drip'plug comprising a restriction fitting having a nipple adaptedfor application at a bearing, an imperforate hard insert closelylodgedin a corresponding bore longitudinally through the length of thenipple, and pre-assembled therewith to afford a highly restrictedoutlet, said restriction passage accessible through the inlet endthereof for facility in cleaning or clearing, and a complementaryfittinvf having a plug and socket connection with tlie inlet end of saidrestriction fitting, and covering the otherwise eX- posed inlet end ofsaid restriction passage, said complementary fitting 'affording acoupling connection for the extremity of a feed pipe.

5. A drip plug construction comprising a pair of fitting elements havinga plug and socket connection, one of said elements having means at theend thereof for application of a feed pipe thereto, and one of saidelements having a restriction member disposed therein,the other of saidelements having a check valve therein.

6. A drip plug construction comprising a pair of fitting elements havinga plug and socket connection therebetween, one of said elements having avalve therein and having means at the end thereof for application of afeed pipe thereto, the other member having restriction means of hardmaterial closely fiting in a corresponding bore thereof.

7. A drip plug construction including a pair of pipe fitting elements,having a threaded plug and socket connection, 011e of said elementshaving a strainer at the inlet thereof, and having means for applicationof a feed pipe thereto, a filler in one of said elements, serving as aflow restriction, and a check valve in the other of said elements.

8. A drip plug construction comprising a pipe fitting having a nippleend adapted to be applied to a bearing, a socket near the opposite endof said fitting, a second fitting having a nipple threaded into saidsocket, a strainer `at the inlet of said second fitting, couplingconnecting means for applying a feed pipe to the latter, a solidrestriction member extending longitudinally of one of said fittings, anda check valve Within the other of said fittings.

9. A drip plug construction comprising a mounting fitting having anipple adapted to be applied to a bearing, a restriction member of hardmaterial snugly extending into a corresponding longitudinal bore in thenipple of said fitting, an inlet fitting having a nipple threaded into asocket at the outer end of said mounting fitting and having couplingconnecting means at the inlet end thereof for a feed pipe, said inletfitting comprising a valve pre-assembled therewith.

10. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting having a polygonalcross-section and having a nipple adapted to be applied to a bearing, asecond pipe fitting connected to the outer end of said first element bya plug and socket connection, a flow restriction member in one of saidfitting parts, closed at its end by the other fitting part, and a valveenclosed in the latter element.

11. A drip plug construction, comprising a mounting fitting having a'threaded nipple adapted to be applied to a bearing, a solid restrictionmember snugly extending into a corresponding axial boreofsaid nipple, aninlet fitting threaded into a socket at the outer end of said mountingfitting and having coupling connecting means at the inlet end thereoffor a feed pipe, said inlet fitting comprising a valve preassembledtherewith and a strainer at the inlet end of said drip plug, the fittingparts in assembled condition enclosing the parts of the restriction andof the valve exposed in the separate fitting parts.

12. A drip plug comprising a Isupport fitting of polygonal stock andhaving a nipple adapted-for application to a bearing, a flow restrictionmember of hard material snugly fitting in a corresponding longitudinalbore through said fitting and the nipple thereof, an inlet cartridgeincluding a nipple threaded into a corresponding socket at the outer endof said support fitting and having a shoulder abutting a flat side ofsaid base fitting, said inlet cartridge having a valve seat formed as anintegral part thereof, and a valve coacting therewith.

13. A drip plug comprising a pipe fitting having a fiow restrictiontherein and a protective strainer comprising a Wad of fibrous materialsnugly fitted in a corresponding socket near the inlet end of saidfitting and spaced from the Wall of said socket at the outer endthereof.

14. A drip plug construction comprising a pair of fitting elementsextending in angular relation and having a plug and socket connection,one of said fitting elements adapted to be applied to a bearing and theother having means at the end thereof for application of a feed pipethereto, a solid fiow controlling restriction in one and a check valvein the other of said elements.

15. A drip plug construction comprising a pair of fitting elementsextending in angular relation and having a plug and socket connection,one of said elements having a valve therein and means at the end thereoffor application of a feed pipe thereto, the other of said elementshaving a solid flow controlling restriction retained in a correspondinglongitudinal bore thereof.

16. A drip plug construction comprising a support fitting having anipple adapted to be applied at a bearing, and having a solid flowrestriction snugly fitting in a corresponding bore longitudinallythereof, said fitting having a laterally extending socket therein, asecond fitting plugged into said socket and having means at the endthereof for application of a feed pipe thereto, said second fittinghaving a valve therein, pre-assembled therewith.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this25th day of May, A. 1D. 1928.

JOSEPH BIJUR.

